That's the end of our live coverage for today, thanks for reading. We'll be back again at 07:00CET on Friday morning with all the latest developments. For now, read our live blog below to see how events unfolded on Thursday:
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Summary
- Israel continues to batter Gaza with airstrikes, hitting schools, hospitals and residential areas
- Palestinian officials say the enclave faces a humanitarian catastrophe, after Israel cut off electricity, fuel, food and water supplies
- The death toll in Gaza now stands at more than 1,417. Israeli authorities say 1,300 were killed in Hamas's surprise attack on Saturday
- Israel's president has said the country is readying for an extensive military campaign in Gaza
- Some 383,000 people have been displaced in Gaza, according to the UN
- Top US diplomat Antony Blinken has landed in Israel. He will also meet the Palestinian president
- Plans to establish a safe corridor for Palestinians fleeing Israeli strikes have been rejected
- Syrian state media report that Israel has attacked two airports in Syria
- Hamas’s operation came after a record number of Palestinians killed were killed in 2023
France orders the banning of pro-Palestinian demonstrations
Gérald Darmanin, the French Minister of the Interior, has ordered a ban on “pro-Palestinian demonstrations" saying they "are likely to generate disturbances to public order”.
A spokesperson for Darmanin's office told ADP arrests would be made if necessary, specifically of "the organisers [of the protests] and troublemakers".
Beijing says it is 'deeply concerned' about conflict
China has said it's "deeply concerned" by the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and has called for a ceasefire.
The remarks were made during a telephone conversation between diplomat Zhai Jun and an Israeli official on Thursday, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“China is deeply concerned by the escalation of tensions and violence between Israel and Palestine (and) is saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict,” said Chinese special envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun to Rafael Harpaz, an official at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, according to a statement released by Beijing.
China "condemns the harm caused to innocent civilians and calls for a ceasefire and an end to violence as soon as possible, as well as the resumption of peace talks on the basis of a two-way solution States to strengthen the confidence of people on both sides in achieving peace,” Zhai continued.
Beijing announced on Thursday that three of its nationals had been killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, while two others were "unreachable" and "a number were injured."
“The main priorities are an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians,” Zhai added during the talks.
Israel has hit Gaza with 4,000 tons of explosives since Saturday - army
The Israeli army has announced that it has bombarded the Palestinian enclave of Gaza - controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas - with 4,000 tons of explosives since Saturday.
In a press release, they wrote: “Around 6,000 bombs have been dropped on the Gaza Strip for a total weight of 4,000 tonnes of explosives”, since the start of the Israeli response to the attack launched on Saturday by Hamas.
The press release added the bombing had killed “hundreds of terrorists”.
UK to arrange flights for Britons stranded in Israel
The UK is in the process of arranging flights to get stranded British nationals out of Israel, the Foreign Office has said.
The first plane will leave Tel Aviv later on Thursday, with more set to depart in the coming days "subject to security".
They emphasised that those eligible to leave will be contacted directly and that British nationals should not go to airports unless they are specifically told to do so.
A team of UK diplomats, trained in crisis managment, have already been to dispatched to Israel to assist British nationals.
The move is a U-turn from the UK government who said earlier this week it would not arrange evacuation flights because commercial routes were still available.
In the last few days, however, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Air France, Lufthansa and Emirates have all suspended flights.
The government-arranged flights will be chartered by the Foreign Office but are commercial services, meaning that each passenger will be charged a fee of £300 (or about €347).
A number of countries have already completed flights to get people home from Israel - including France, Italy, Poland and Canada.
White House: Trump's Hezbollah comments 'unhinged'
The White House has criticised disgraced from US President Donald Trump's comments on the conflict, calling them "dangerous and unhinged".
Speaking to supporters in Florida last night, Trump called Hezbollah "smart" and criticised Israel's defence minister.
In response, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said: "Statements like this are dangerous and unhinged. It's completely lost on us why any American would ever praise an Iran-backed terrorist organisation as 'smart'."
Trump also called Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant "a jerk" and, while he told the rally crowd his prayers were with Israel and vowed to stand by the country and back efforts to destroy Hamas, he also described a previous "bad experience" with Israel's leaders.
"Israel was going to do this with us, and it was being planned and working on it for months," he said about the coordination to kill General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force. We had everything all set to go, and the night before it happened, I got a call that Israel will not be participating in this attack", he told the crowd.
"I'll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down", he added.
Palestinian president Abbas condemns killing of civilians 'on both sides'
The president of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, has condemned the killing and abuse of civilians on both sides of the ongoing conflict.
During a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah, official Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted Abbas as saying: "We reject the practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides because they contravene morals, religion and international law".
"We renounce violence and adhere to international legitimacy, peaceful popular resistance and political action as a path to achieving our national goals," he added.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is set to meet with Abbas tomorrow.
New restrictions on terror inmates in Israeli prison - Security Minister
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has announced new restrictions on terror inmates in Israeli prisons, aimed at worsening their living conditions.
Approved by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the restrictions are set to “make prisoners’ living space more crowded” and see terror convicts sleeping on mattresses.
The changes are coming into force to enable prisons to absorb new inmates, particularly those accused of terrorism captured by Israel.
Israeli military says bodies of 222 soldiers have been identified
Every Israeli soldier killed by Hamas militants so far in the Israel-Palestinian conflict has been identified, the Israeli military confirmed on Thursday.
A total of 222 Israeli soldiers have died and their families have all been notified, a spokesperson for the military said.
(AP)
Gaza death toll rises further
The number of Palestinians killed in Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues to increase.
At least 1,417 people are now dead and 6,200 wounded, according to the enclave's health ministry.
It counts 447 children and 248 women among the casualties.
In Israel, the number of people killed in Hamas’ Saturday attack has reached 1,300, with more than 3,200 others wounded.
Sirens blaring in southern Israel
The Israeli army reports sirens are ringing out in southern Israel - for the sixth day in a row.
Israeli strikes kill at least 151 Palestinians
Today's Israeli air raids have killed at least 151 Palestinians, including children, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reports.
Wafa claimed Israel's bombardment went on "non-stop for hours", with dozens of missiles and bombs hitting tower buildings and homes throughout the Strip.
Strikes hit multiple locations across Gaza and caused "massive destruction", it added.
"The border areas along the northern Gaza Strip, especially northwest of the town of Beit Lahia, were subject to violent bombardment, and flames and smoke rose in the sky of the region."
Military failed to prevent Hamas attack - IDF chief
The chief of Israel's army has acknowledged failures that allowed Hamas's shock assault over the weekend.
“The IDF is responsible for the security of the country and its citizens, and on Saturday morning in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, we did not handle it," said Herzi Halevi in his first public statement since the war began.
"We will learn, we will investigate, but now is the time for war."
The army leader vowed to hit Gaza hard.
“Yahya Sinwar, the ruler of the Gaza Strip, decided on this horrible attack, and therefore he and the entire system under him are doomed. We will attack them, we will dismantle them, dismantle their system,” said Halevi.
“We are killing many terrorists, many commanders, destroying terror infrastructure that supported this terrible, brutal crime,” he continued.
“Gaza will not look the same.”
Halevi also said Israel will do everything it can to return the estimated 150 hostages taken by Hamas and other groups.
Israel planes drop flyers telling north Gazans to flee
Palestinians in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, said on Thursday that Israeli jets dropped leaflets warning them to evacuate their homes "immediately" and to head to “known shelters.”
“Anyone who is near Hamas terrorists will put their lives in danger,” the flyers read in Arabic. “Adhering to IDF instructions will prevent you from being exposed to danger.”
The area had already been heavily struck by the time the flyers were dropped.
Shelters in the Gaza Strip are not safe from airstrikes - the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says it has seen 10 of its shelters struck since the start of the operation.
Palestinians living in the besieged enclave have said Israeli forces do not alert them before their airstrikes or does not give them enough time to flee in the event of forewarning.
Israeli defence officials have said they try to provide warning before strikes.
(AP)
Iran accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ in Gaza
Iran’s foreign minister has alleged Israel is seeking “genocide” by enforcing a siege on Gaza, Iranian state TV report.
“Today, the continuation of war crimes by Netanyahu and Zionists against the civilians of Gaza, besieging, cutting off water and electricity, and denying entry of medicine and food, has created conditions where the Zionists are seeking a genocide of all people in Gaza,” Hossein Amirabdollahian said.
Iran is a regional enemy of Israel.
Tehran has been accused of helping plan Hamas's deadly assault on southern Isreal, though Iranian leaders deny involvement.
Israeli airstrikes hit airports in Syria
Syrian state media report that Israel has attacked airports in Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, damaging their runways and putting them out of service.
State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying that no one was hurt in the attacks. The Israeli military declined to comment.
They would be the first Israeli strikes on Syria since the militant Palestinian group Hamas carried out its deadly attacks in southern Israel.
The airstrikes came a day before Iran’s foreign minister was scheduled to visit Syria to meet officials over the volatile situation in the region.
Israel has targeted airports and seaports in the government-held parts of Syria in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Thousands of Iran-backed fighters from around the region joined Syria’s 12-year conflict helping tip the balance in favor of President Bashar Assad’s forces.
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations.
(AP)
Photos: Anguish across Israel and Palestine
Organisations call for 24-hour ceasefire
Rights groups have urged the international community to press for a temporary cease-fire.
Euro-Med monitor said a 24-hour halt to hostilities was needed to "avert an impending major disaster" in the Gaza Strip.
"Gaza is running out of drinking water, electricity & food supplies," it wrote on X. "Health sector is collapsing. Every minute counts."
The Norwegian Refugee Council echoed these calls, saying humanitarian corridors to allow in aid should be set up immediately.
“At this moment, Gaza has almost run out of fuel, with medicine and food in dangerously low supply. This incredibly densely populated area is under full siege and relentless bombardment by Israel. We must be enabled to bring life-saving assistance to the people of Gaza as quickly as possible,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“I have written to foreign ministers around the world, calling on them to immediately secure humanitarian pauses and corridors to save lives. Aid workers cannot do their jobs while bombs are falling everywhere. We are urgently calling on the US, EU, and Arab states to step up support in order to better protect civilian life and end the mass displacement of families.”
“This relentless bloodshed and targeting of civilians must end. With every ongoing minute of violence, the lives of Israeli and Palestinian children and their families are being devastated.”
Euronews journalist answers some important questions about Gaza conflict
As Israel’s war against Hamas rages on following the militants’ surprise attack last Saturday, Euronews asked journalist Samia Mekki, who also works for the Arabic-language editorial team of Euronews, about what’s happening in Gaza right now.
What’s the mood among Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank?
"Despite all the suffering the Palestinians have gone through for so many years, there's a sense of déjà vu among Gazans,” Mekki said.“More than 6,400 Palestinians have been killed since 2008 according to the UN, not counting the current death toll - Gaza has been under siege for more than 15 years with no prospect of lasting peace. A few years ago, the UN predicted that Gaza would be uninhabitable by 2020. Here we are in 2023. An estimated 78% of the water is unfit for human consumption," Mekki said.
“Years after the Oslo Accords, Palestinians still face a bleak future,” she added. “Despair and anger are the daily bread of all those who live in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, let alone the refugees who have been scattered in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere for decades.”
The Palestinian territories have the highest unemployment rate in the world, according to a 2018 UNCTAD report.
How do you expect the war to continue?
“Israel is likely to launch a ground offensive against Gaza,” Mekki said. “The move is aimed at washing away the shame caused by the Hamas incursion.”
According to Mekki, “Netanyahu has no choice but to prove to the public that the retaliation exceeds the humiliation that Hamas militants inflicted on the Israeli army and intelligence services.”
“The big question is when this ground offensive will be launched, given what the Hamas spokesman said yesterday,” she continued.
“Abu Obaida [the spokesperson for Hamas' militant wing] mocked Netanyahu's threats as ridiculous. He went on to stress that if Israel continues to bomb Gaza, it will endanger the lives of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.” But “can Netanyahu afford to be responsible for the deaths of scores of Israeli citizens in Gaza?,” asked Mekki.
What is the role of Hezbollah?
Another question is the role of Hezbollah, she said.“The Lebanese movement has already vowed to intervene in the event of a ground offensive against Gaza. In this case, can the Israeli army wage war from the southern and northern fronts? It's a million-dollar question.”
Macron to comment on rise of antisemitic acts in France
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to address the nation on television and call for unity and try to prevent any spillover of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in France.
The televised address will follow a meeting with senior politicians and comes as there has been a rise in antisemitic acts in the country.
France has Europe's largest Muslim and Jewish populations. In previous years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has in the past contributed to tensions between the two.
Antisemitic acts have risen in France since Hamas attacked Israeli towns on Saturday, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
‘Hamas is ISIS’ - Netanyahu
“Hamas is ISIS and just as ISIS was crushed, so too Hamas will be crushed,” Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said at a press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is a radical Islamist group that has conducted and inspired terrorist attacks worldwide.
"Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated. They should be spit out from the community of nations. No leader should meet them, no country should harbour them, and those that do, should be sanctioned," he added.
Netanyahu has also thanked the US for “their incredible support for Israel in our war against the barbarians of Hamas”.
“The stories of horror say everything about them and the stories of bravery say everything about us and this bravery will win", he told reporters.
The US 'has Israel's back' - Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he "comes before you not only as US Secretary of State - but also as a Jew".
"My grandfather, Maurice Blinken, fled pilgrims in Russia, my step-father survived Auschwitz, so prime minister I understand on a personal level the harrowing echoes that Hamas massacres carry for Israeli Jews and for Jews everywhere," he added.
Blinken went on to say Hamas' "brutal inhumanity... brings to mind the worst of ISIS" but reassured Israel of support from the US.
"The message that I bring to Israel is this - you may be strong enough on your own to defend yourselves - but as long as America exists you will never, ever have to."
Adding that "the United States has Israel's back", he confirmed that the number of American citizens killed in Israel currently stands at 25.
Hamas is 'enemy of civilisation' - Netanyahu
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu has hit out at Hamas, saying it has "shown itself to be an enemy of civilisation".
The comments came during a press conference held alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Netanyahu also took the opportunity to list off the atrocities alleged to have been committed by the militants.
"The murder of young people at outdoor music festival, the butchering of entire families, the murder of parents in front of children, and the murder of children in front of their parents, the burning of people alive, the beheadings, the kidnapping of a young boy - not only kidnapped, molested, attacked, hurt - and the sickening display of celebrating these horrors," he said.
Mr Netanyahu says "no country should harbour" Hamas militants, calling for sanctions on those that do.
Musk's X has taken down hundreds of Hamas-linked accounts, CEO says
Elon Musk's social media platform X has removed hundreds of Hamas-linked accounts and taken down or labelled thousands of pieces of content since the militant group's attack on Israel, according to the CEO of the company formerly known as Twitter.
Linda Yaccarino on Thursday outlined efforts by X to get a handle on illegal content flourishing on the platform. She was responding to a demand from a top European Union official this week for information on how X is complying with the EU's tough new digital rules during the Israel-Hamas war.
“X is proportionately and effectively assessing and addressing identified fake and manipulated content during this constantly evolving and shifting crisis,” Yaccarino said in a letter to European Commissioner Thierry Breton, the 27-nation bloc's digital enforcer.
Since the war erupted, photos and videos have flooded social media of the carnage, including haunting footage of Hamas fighters taking terrified Israelis hostage, alongside posts from users pushing false claims and misrepresenting videos from other events.
(AP)
At least 100 believed to have traveled from the UK to join Israeli military
It's thought that at least 100 people are believed to have left the UK to join the Israelia military as it mounts a retaliatory campaign against Hamas.
The Israeli Embassy in the UK announced those who traveled were “reservists and active duty soldiers” in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
In a statement, they said: “The Embassy of Israel understands that at least 100 reservists and active duty soldiers have gone back to Israel from the UK to serve in the IDF”.
Egypt’s Rafah crossing remains open - foreign ministry
Egypt has asked Israel to avoid targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing. The call comes after Israeli bombing which prevented normal operations.
Death toll in Gaza rises - Palestinian ministry
The number of deaths in the Gaza Strip rose to 1,354, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Thursday.
“The number of martyrs reached 1,354 people and the number of injured 6,049 people,” the ministry said in a statement, five days after Hamas' offensive.
Israel has pounded the Palestinian enclave since Saturday in relation.
A previous report put the death toll in Gaza at around 1,200.
(AFP)
Israel identifies 97 captives
Israel’s top military spokesperson Daniel Hagari says the army was able to confirm the identities of 97 people taken hostage by Hamas.
Israeli officials overseeing the effort still trying to identify all of those missing or taken captive by the Palestinian militants.
In a statement, Gal Hirsch said his office is working “to formulate an assessment of the situation” and to assist the families of the captives and missing. “The searches in the field are continuing and the difficult work of identifying the bodies continues,” said Hirsch, a former general who was appointed after the incursion by Hamas on Saturday.
An estimated 150 Israelis, many of them civilians, were abducted by the Palestinian militant group on Saturday.
(AP)
UNRWA announces more staff have been killed
The United Nations organisation for Palestine has announced that 12 of its colleagues have been killed since Saturday.
"We mourn this loss and are grieving with our colleagues and the families," it wrote on X, adding "UN staff and civilians must be protected at all times".
Israeli army names fallen soldiers
The Israel Defense Forces released on Thursday morning the names of 31 soldiers who have been killed since Hamas' surprise attack against Israel on Saturday.
From crypto to charity: How is Hamas funded?
Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel last week required huge financial resources.
The terrorist group deployed drones, cyberattacks and between 2,500 and 5,000 rockets in a single day. By comparison, they used the same amount of weaponry over a period of 11 days two years ago, suggesting their resources have vastly increased.
But as a designated terrorist entity, Hamas is subject to sanctions and has been cut off from the international banking system. Any attempts by the group to raise funds are tackled by global counter-terrorist financing efforts.
Hamas was named one of the richest terrorist groups in the world by Forbes in 2014.
Their annual turnover back then was estimated to reach as much as $1 billion (€942 million), coming from taxes and fees, financial aid and donations.
But are these the only sources of their funds?
Dozens of Palestinian families wiped out by Israeli strikes
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 28 Palestinian families have had all their members killed in the same strike, since the start of Israel's bombing campaign.
At least four Israelis injured in rocket attack
Medics say four people have been injured in a rocket attack on the southern Israeli city of Sderot.
Alongside two people seriously wounded, medical staff are treating a 33-year-old man in moderate condition who was hurt by shrapnel, and a 37-year-old man who fell while running to a shelter.
Netanyahu 'blamed by a lot of Israelis' - expert
Experts have told Al Jazeera that political issues at home linked to Israel's prime minister could have played a role in Hamas' weekend assault.
“Netanyahu by bringing Israel into domestic turmoil just to escape conviction on bribery charges, his attempt to quash the judiciary, his attempt to quash Israeli rule of law, and his diversion from security services meant the domestic turmoil could be exploited by Hamas,” Scott Lucas, professor of American and International politics at University College Dublin, was quoted as saying by the Qatar-based news agency.
“I’m not saying that is the only reason that Hamas attacked, but it is one reason why they could attack. Netanyahu is been blamed by a lot of Israelis, including Israelis who have supported him in the past. I think sooner or at least not so later, he’s going to have to go for the sake of Israel,” he added.
Top EU diplomat to discuss Israel-Hamas war during China trip
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, has landed in China for his highly anticipated three-day visit, which was postponed twice for various reasons.
He has a busy agenda for his meeting on Friday with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where topics like Ukraine, Russia, Taiwan, human rights, global debt and trade flows are all expected to be tackled.
The Israel-Hamas war will be the latest addition to the talking points.
Borrell has strongly condemned Hamas, which the EU considers a terrorist organisation, for launching a "barbaric" attack against the Jewish population but said "some of the actions" taken by Israel in retaliation, like cutting off water and food supplies to the Gaza Strip, are "against international law."
For its part, Beijing has struck a neutral stance, calling on "relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities."
The muted reaction, which avoided a forceful rebuke of Hamas, has been criticised by Israeli and American officials.
Learn more about Borrell’s trip to China.
Israel preparing for protracted military campaign
President Isaac Herzog says Israel is preparing for an extensive military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"My nation is grieving. This tragedy has inflicted almost every home in Israel," he says in a briefing to foreign journalists at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
"It will be a long and drawn-out campaign against Hamas."
'Please help us get them out': Relatives of Israeli hostages call on EU to help
The relatives of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas and take hostage in Gaza joined a rally in Brussels on Wednesday, asking European leaders to use their political clout to ensure the immediate release of their loved ones.
Dire water shortages face 650,000 Gazans - UN
People in the Gaza Strip face a critical shortage of water, fuel and medical supplies, amid relentless Israeli strikes, according to the United Nations humanitarian office.
It said around 1,000 homes have been reduced to rubble since Israel began its retaliation for Saturday's surprise attack by Hamas.
More than 12,600 homes have sustained damage.
The UN agency, known as OCHA, also reported that all 13 hospitals in the territory are only partially operational because of severe shortages of fuel and crucial medical supplies.
It said the reduction in water supplies due to Israel tightening its siege on the strip has resulted in dire water shortages for over 650,000 people in the territory of 2.3 million.
Sewage systems have been destroyed, the humanitarian office added, sending fetid wastewater into the streets and posing a health hazard.
(AP)
'We've been preparing for this attack for years' - Hamas
Hamas officials have said Israel's united front will not “intimidate or deter the resistance.”
“We have been preparing for this attack for years,” said Mohammad Nazzal, a senior Hamas official. “The resistance fighters have prepared to engage in the most vicious of battles for many months.”
His comments came in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement yesterday that he and opposition leader Benny Gantz had formed a national unity government to lead the country in its war on the Hamas militant group.
Photos: Top US diplomat Antony Blinken touches down in Israel
Germany suspends Gaza aid
Olaf Scholz has confirmed that Germany is halting all development aid to the Palestinian Territories until it completes a review to assess whether it will serve regional peace and Israel's security.
“Our yardstick will be whether and how these projects best serve peace in the region and the security of Israel,” he said. “Until that review is complete we will not make available any new development cooperation resources.”
“Sadly, we can foresee the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza strip likely growing further – but that too is the fault of Hamas and its attack on Israel,” he added.
Some 2.1 million Palestinians - out of 5.3 million - need humanitarian assistance, according to the European Commission.
In the Gaza Strip, it said more than 80% of the population depends on aid due to restrictions imposed by Israel, which have hamstrung Gaza’s economy.
Earlier, Scholz said he was working with "full force" in tandem with Israel to free all hostages.
Israel death toll climbs
The number killed in Hamas's Saturday attack has risen to at least 1,300, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.
It added about 3,300 people were wounded, some in a critical condition.
In Gaza, more than 1,200 people have been killed and about 5,600 wounded.
Germany to give Israel drones
Berlin will supply Israel with two combat drones that were already inside the country for training purposes.
Germany’s military is currently leasing five Heron TP drones to Israel.
The Defence Ministry said that it agreed to an Israeli request to use up to two of the aircraft.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday that Israel has asked Germany for ammunition for warships.
Pistorius said that the request will be discussed and stressed that “we stand beside the Israelis.”
(AP)
No water or electricity for Gaza until hostages returned - Israeli minister
Israeli energy minister Israel Katz says no electricity or water will be supplied to the Gaza Strip until those captured during Hamas’ Saturday assault are returned home.
“Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be turned on, no water pump will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,” he posted on X.
“Humanitarianism for humanitarianism. And no one can preach morality to us,” he continued.
The fate of an estimated 150 people abducted and taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip during the Hamas attack is still unclear.
Sirens wail in Israel near Gaza border
Rocket sirens are blaring in several Israeli towns on the border with the Gaza Strip.
No damage or injuries were immediately reported.
IDF sends troops to Lebanon border
The Israel Defense Forces says it has deployed reservist forces to towns on the Lebanon border, amid a general reinforcement in northern Israel.
“The forces are carrying out various defence tasks in the towns, which include patrols, ambushes, and the deployment of roadblocks, in order to ensure the safety of the residents,” notes the IDF.
Tensions are at a fever pitch in northern Israel, where Israeli forces have clashed with Hezbollah fighters.
Israel preparing for ground operation in Gaza
The Israeli military says it is preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza but that the political leadership has not yet decided on one. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters Thursday that forces “are preparing for a ground manoeuvre if decided.”
Israel has called up some 360,000 army reservists and has threatened an unprecedented response to Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging incursion over the weekend.
It has been launching intense airstrikes on Gaza since the attack by Hamas on Saturday, as militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
Netanyahu ‘not prepared’ for Hamas attack - Trump
Former US President Donald Trump has claimed the Israeli prime minister over his handling of the deadly Hamas crisis.
“He was not prepared. He was not prepared, and Israel was not prepared. And under Trump, they wouldn’t have had to be prepared,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.
He added that Benjamin Netanyahu “has been hurt very badly” due to the attack, which killed 1,200 people in Israel.
Red Cross in contact with both sides over hostages
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it is in contact with Hamas and Israel in a bid to negotiate the release of hostages taken into Gaza, the group said on Thursday.
At least 150 Israelis and foreigners – including soldiers, civilians, children and women – have been held hostage in the Gaza Strip since Hamas’s surprise Saturday attack on Israel.
“As a neutral intermediary we stand ready to conduct humanitarian visits; facilitate communication between hostages and family members; and to facilitate any eventual release,” Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC’s regional director for the Near and Middle East, said in a statement.
Hostage-taking is forbidden under international humanitarian law, and anyone detained must be released immediately, Carboni added.
Gaza hospitals becoming ‘graveyards’ amid power outage
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that hospitals in the Gaza Strip are turning into “graveyards” after equipment stopped working due to the lack of power supply.
Hospitals across Gaza are suffering from a shortage of staff and supplies, as the number of wounded grows by the hour.
Egypt rejects plans to establish humanitarian corridor
The Egyptian government has rejected any proposal to establish corridors out of Gaza for Palestinians fleeing Israel’s bombardment in Gaza, a senior Egyptian official said early Thursday.
The official said they were talking with Israel and the United States about establishing safe corridors inside Gaza and the allowance of humanitarian aid to besieged Palestinians.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief media, the official was responding to White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby, who said that the Biden administration is in active conversations to achieve safe passage out of Gaza for civilians.
Egypt's state-run media reported that Israel's offensive is part of a scheme to empty the enclave.